When Life Doesn't Stand Still
by MissLadyWolf
Summary: It's been 10 years since Leah left La Push to get away from all the awful memories she had. But a death in the family will send her back to face her demons. What will Leah find when she sees that life in La Push hasn't stood still?
1. Chapter 1

Okay, so this is my first Twilight story. I hope everyone likes it and I get tons of reviews. I am busy with work and school so if this story does become popular, I plan to update weekly. However, if it gets reviews and hits today, I will post another chapter tomorrow.

Please be nice to the story. Criticism is accepted, as long as it is nice.

This story will be rated T just to be safe.

I do not own Twilight in any way shape or form. Nor do I own the song "She's my cherry pie". Stephenie Meyer and Warrant are the masterminds behind them.

**BREAKING DAWN SPOILERS!**

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Death makes angels of us all

and gives us wings

where we had shoulders

smooth as raven's claws

---Jim Morrison, An American Prayer

It was one of those rare days in Forks, Washington where the rain stopped, at least for the time being and the sun shone brightly through the trees' colored leaves. It was a breezy, Autumn afternoon and the sun had just come out after rain fell from the skies all morning, leaving the skies a dull gray color instead of a blue. The hospital was buzzing with noise, but the people in room 313 kept the door closed, treasuring what could be their last moments together. They knew their time would be very limited when Carlisle had a hard time putting on a fake doctor act to pretend that everything was going to be okay.

A tan skinned Indian woman lay sleeping on the hospital bed. Her gray hair was thinning in some areas, her skinned wrinkled and weathered quickly over a year. The once independent, headstrong woman looked so little and fragile hooked up to all the machines. The woman had two visitors in her room. The two men were regular guests, they would come early in the morning and stay until real late. Sometimes, one of the men might spend the night with her. One of the men was an older man. His brown hair was turning gray in spots and his work uniform was getting a bit tight on him, but his brown eyes were never changing. And the man was glad, because that was what the woman liked best about him. The other man was younger, only in his mid twenties, was also of Indian descent. His mother was lying in the bed next to him and it was killing him to see her look so weak. The man was tall, well over 6 feet. He had brown red skin with cropped black hair. His eyes were a dark brown that always seemed to sparkle.

The woman coughed, forcing the two men to look up at her. Her eyes fluttered for a few moments before finally opening slowly. "Sue," the older man cried as he hurried to her side. The woman's son looked up and walked over. "Mom," he cried. Sue smiled weakly at the two. She opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't get the words out before she started to cough. "It's okay, darling," the older man said, rubbing her arms. The son looked down at his mother with worry. He hated to see her like that. "My time is almost up..." Sue told them softly. The two men exchanged fearful glances. "No, mom, it's not, don't talk like that!" the son snapped. He couldn't lose his mother.

Sue looked at him with sad eyes, she took his hand gently. "Seth," she said softly. "It is....please, try to smile for me, baby." Seth blinked back the tears in his eyes. He looked up, forcing a smile that he knew was coming out as a grimace. Sue smiled at him weakly. Her eyes looked over to the other man that was now sitting beside her on the bed. "Charlie," she whispered, her eyes ran over him. Seth saw the love radiating in her eyes. She cared for him so much.

His stepfather.

Charlie leaned down and kissed her head gently. "I love you," he whispered, saying his goodbyes. Seth looked away, trying not to cry. He had to be strong...for now. He walked over to his mother and leaned down, kissing her cheek softly. "I love you," he whispered to her. "I love you both," she told them softly. Seth sat down on the other side of his mother. Both husband and son held her hands.

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The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.

---Tom Bodett

Leah Clearwater glanced at the time on her cell phone and groaned a little. She scribbled a few more notes down in her notebook and closed it. She slipped her notebook and textbook into her bookbag and stood up. She pushed in her chair and hurried out of the campus library. There weren't many people walking around campus, all the morning class students were long gone while the afternoon students were already in class. Leah quickly crossed the campus and got to the parking lot. She found her car and quickly unlocked it. She tossed her bookbag into the backseat and pulled off the school grounds.

Los Angeles was busy, as usual. But she loved it just as much as the first day she arrived here. Leah moved to Los Angeles about ten years ago. Right after everything was settled with the Volturi. She tried to make it work with Jacob's pack, but it just didn't happen like that. Sam was supposed to marry Emily soon...and her family, to torture her more, agreed that she should be a bridesmaid.

Why did her family want Emily to die at her own wedding was beyond her, but that's what was agreed too.

And it's not like anyone actually liked Leah?

Leah didn't care...at least that's what she kept telling herself.

Leah loved it in Los Angeles though. She moved out here and quickly got a job and an apartment near a beach. She started working at a bar and grill resturant at night to pay her bills and college tuition. A lot of her schooling was paid for by her father's money that he left to her when he died...but ten years of schooling had pretty much cleared away that account.

Leah pulled into the parking lot of the bar and grill. She cut the engine and got out of the car. She opened her trunk, took out a duffel bag, and walked inside the bar and grill using the back door that was opened for the employees. She walked down the dark hall until she got to a set of stairs. She walked down the stairs and was in the basement. The basement was where the employees hung out before and after their shift. Leah walked to the women's restroom and went inside. She went in the first stall and dropped the duffel bag on the floor. She grabbed ahold of the bottom of her red t-shirt and pulled it over her head. She kicked off her flip flops and unbuttoned her jeans, pulling them down and stepping out of them, leaving Leah in just her bra and panties.

Leah was a very beautiful woman. She was 30 now, although, she didn't look much older than 18 years old. She had an exotic look to her with perfect copper colored skin. She had let her hair grow and now it fell like a jet black sheet down her back. She was tall, close to 5'11, but she was thin and muscular, making sure she hit the gym at least 3 times a week. Leah reached down and pulled out a short, jean skirt out of her bag, and she stepped into it. She pulled it up and buttoned it. She reached back down and pulled out a pink halter top and put it on. The halter top showed just a little bit of her stomach before the waistline of the skirt started. Abs were visible on her stomach with her blue and silver belly button ring. Leah stepped into a pair of white sandels and stepped out of the stall. She walked over to the mirror to examine her hair.

"Up or down?" Leah asked her reflection as she looked at her hair. She made a face and took out a ponytail and tied her hair into the top of her head. She put one a little make up and grabbed her duffel bag out of the stall. She walked out of the restroom and to the lockers that the employees were able to put their things in. Leah spun the combination on her lock and opened the locker, throwing the duffel bag inside and taking out a black apron. She shut her locker and went upstairs to the bar area. The bar was empty, it didn't open for another half hour. There was only one other person in the room besides Leah. It was a woman. She owned the bar and grill. Her name was Casey Stone. The woman was a few years older than her and very pretty. She was shorter than Leah, only 5'5. She had long, wavy brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. Leah adored Casey and Casey adored Leah.

Leah remembered the first day she met Casey. It was her first day in Los Angeles and they met at a coffee shop. Casey asked her for the time and before Leah knew it, Casey sat herself down and started to chat like they were old buddies. Leah had thought it felt very nice. By the time a few hours flew by, Leah knew Casey's life story. Casey had grown up on the east coast and flew over here when she dropped out of college. She blew the rest of her savings on an old building that soon became her bar and grill. Eleven years the bar and grill has been in service, and it's very successful. Casey was estatic that one of her plans worked. She just recently started talking to her family again.

"Hey Case," Leah greeted as she walked into the room, tying the black apron around her hips. Casey turned around with a huge grin. "Hey girl," she greeted back. "You ready to drive the men crazy tonight over their want for you again?" Leah laughed as she walked over to the radio that was behind the bar. She flipped it on and music quickly filled the room from speakers all around the walls.

_She's my cherry pie._

_Cool drink of water_

_what a sweet surprise!_

_Taste so good make a grown man cry_

_Sweet cherry pie!_

Leah shook her hips as she started to dance. "They don't want me," she cried to her friend as she continued to dance around the bar, turning on lights as she went. Casey shook her head and started to dance as well. "Sure, sure, keep telling yourself that," she said.

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Leah leaned against her locker, counting through her tips that she made for the night. Casey walked down, looking exhausted. "Well, I finally got rid of the last customers," she said as she plopped down on a stool. She looked over at Leah. "How much did you make?" "350 dollars," Leah replied as she opened her locker and grabbed her purse, slipping the money inside. "Not bad," Casey replied. "I usually make more," Leah said, a bit disappointed. "But oh well, It will cover my rent."

Leah put her purse on her shoulder and grabbed the duffel bag out of the locker. "Well, I'm leaving. I'll see you tomorrow night," Leah said. Casey nodded and stood up. She walked over to Leah and hugged her. "Goodnight," Casey said. "Goodnight," Leah called as she walked up the basement stairs. She walked up the hallway and out the door into the dark, cool late night air. She took her keys out and unlocked her car door and got in. She started her car and headed home. Leah didn't meet many other cars out this late and she got home quickly. She went up to her apartment, unlocked the door, and walked in. She shut the door behind her and turned on a few lights.

She dropped her bags on the floor and plopped down on the couch. She put her head back and groaned. "I have to get a shower," she muttered to herself as she pulled her hair down from the ponytail. Leah turned her head to the left as she saw a flash of red. It was her answering machine's red light flashing to alert her of a message. Leah groaned and leaned over the side of the couch, hitting the play button.

**"You have one unheard message. Message one Tuesday, September 14th, 5:25 pm," **the automatic voice said. A second later, a man's voice played.

_**"Leah.....how are you doing big sister?"**_

Leah smiled as she heard her brother's voice for the first time in a long time. She hated how she never got to see him anymore.

_**"Leah...you need to come home.....Mom died today Leah."**_

Leah choked. Tears started to roll down her face.

_**"The funeral is in a few days...but we have to clean out mom and dad's house...."**_

Leah suddenly felt very cold. She shivered and hugged her arms around herself as the tears continued to fall silently down her face.

_**"If you won't come home for that....then please come home for me....Leah....I need you right now."**_

Seth's voice broke and he went quiet for a few moments as he tried to regain himself. Leah cried harder as she heard how broken her brother sounded.

_**"I hope to see you soon, sis....I love you."**_

**End of message**

For a few moments, Leah just sat there and cried. Finally she grabbed the cordless phone and punched in a familar number. The phone rang a few times before Casey picked up the other end. "Leah, are you okay?" she asked with worry. "N-No," Leah managed to choke out. "Casey, my mom died....I need to go back to Washington. Can you give me a ride to the airport?"

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If you want Chapter Two, REVIEW!


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, here is Chapter Two like I promised! I am so glad that a lot of people enjoyed my story so far. 11 reviews! THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL MY REVIEWERS!

I think this chapter goes a bit slow...but I had to bring all the charcaters in...so now they they are all in, it should start moving now.

I do not own the Twilight series...or Leah and Sam would still be together.

I do not own the song. The song is **Who says you can't go home by Bon Jovi**

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Chapter 2

Leah heard the door from her bedroom. She dropped the clothes on the bed and hurried down the hall to the door. "Casey?" she asked. "It's me," Casey's voice replied back. Leah sighed in relief and opened the door. Casey saw her and sighed. "Honey, I'm so sorry," she said. Leah nodded as more tears ran down her face. Casey hugged Leah close to her. Leah collasped into her friend's arms as she cried.

It wasn't until an hour later that Casey was able to calm Leah down enough to drive to the airport. As Casey drove, she would glance every few moments over at Leah. Leah didn't notice the glances at all. She just sat in the passenger's seat, staring out the window as silent tears cascaded down her pretty face. Casey's heart was breaking just to watch how upset this girl was. This girl, in their ten years of knowing each other, had come to be like a sister to her. They arrived at the airport and the women got out of the car. Casey grabbed Leah's bags for her and they walked inside. Casey leaned against the wall as Leah walked over to the main desk to pick up her ticket. Her eyes closed as she rested against the wall. She didn't remember the last time she had slept and she couldn't wait to go home. However, she had to make sure Leah was alright first. Leah walked back over a few minutes later, a ticket was in her hand. "Thanks for driving me here," Leah said, as she picked up her bags off of the floor. Casey's eyes opened and she gave her a smile. "It was no problem," she replied. Leah sighed and her eyes started to wander around the airport, not focusing on one thing for too long. "Did you talk to your brother?" Casey asked, worrying about what would happen to her friend once she was gone. Leah nodded, her eyes still wandering around. "I called him right after I called you." This made Casey feel a little bit better. Leah's eyes looked back up at her friend and sighed. "Well, I better be going now." Casey nodded and hugged her tightly. "Call me as soon as you can," Casey told her. "I don't care how late or early it is. Call when you need someone to talk to." Leah nodded. She picked her bags back up and started to walk away. Casey hated to see her this upset, so to ease some of the tension, she yelled after her, "So I guess I won't expect you at work tomorrow?" Leah stopped walking and slowly turned. A small smile appeared on her lips, her eyes turned up at the corners, and yet, the usual sparkle to her eyes was still missing. "I guess not," Leah called back, trying to calm her friend's worries. Casey smiled and blew her a kiss. Leah turned and walked away.

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The sun was just starting to shine when the plane landed in Port Angeles. Leah got off the plane and went to collect her bags. She wasn't in a big rush to see Seth, although she hadn't seen him in so long and she missed him terribly. If she was coming home for a different situation, she would have forgot her bags in a heartbeat and ran to greet her little brother. But it wasn't a different situation. Her mother was dead. The first time she was home in years and she had to come to barry her mother.

As Leah was picking up her bags, she heard a voice call her name from behind her. Leah turned and saw Seth, he was standing only a few feet away, wearing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Leah took a deep breath and walked over to him, throwing her arms around his muscular shoulders and hugging him tightly. Seth wrapped his arms around her, hugging her back. It wasn't long until they were both in tears, crying in joy about seeing each other again, but mostly, crying for their lost mother. Leah lost track of time. She didn't know how long her and her brother just stood there crying their eyes out. Leah was the first one to stop. She just pulled back and looked up at her brother's face, she couldn't believe how much taller he was than her. She missed the old days when he was a little shrimp to her. She used to make fun of him. But now....Seth really took to being a werewolf.

Leah wiped her eyes and said, "Do you plan on us staying at the airport or am I allowed to go back to your apartment?" Seth laughed and wiped his eyes. "No, you have to stay here. You smell funny." Leah laughed. Seth gave her a goofy smile and picked up her bags. "You want me to carry you too?" he asked. Leah rolled her eyes and started to walk. Seth chuckled and followed. The two walked outside and Seth led her over to his car. It was nothing fancy, but the way Seth had fixed it up seemed to fit his personality. Seth put her bags in the trunk and they got in the car. Leah yawned and leaned back for the car ride. She wasn't able to fall asleep on the flight, but perhaps, if she was lucky, she could catch a few minutes of sleep.

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Leah caught more than a few minutes of sleep. When Seth shook her gently to wake her up, they were already at his apartment. Leah stretched and got out of the car. She slowly looked around. Everything looked so familiar. Well, besides Seth getting an apartment. Could time have possibly just stood still here? Did time just stop? Leah looked around. Everything seemed to look familar. They were standing outside a mechanic's garage. Leah had only been there once before. It was when Jacob first bought the garage.

The garage was owned by Jacob. He bought it right before Leah left La Push. Right after they all faced the Volturi. Jacob said that he needed a way to support Renesmee when they were to marry. Jacob always knew they were be together forever...._how sweet_. It just made Leah sick.

Leah looked around. The sky was a gray color that promised rain very soon. She looked back at the garage. Jacob and Seth shared the apartment above it. She had only been there once, but you can tell the moment you walked in, even if it was only for a minute or two, that two men shared it. It was small and very cluttered. There was two bedrooms, a kitchen, living room, and a bathroom.

Leah looked at her brother. "So what are the living arrangements going to be once Jacob marries?" she asked. Seth shrugged. "I'm not really sure yet. Jacob offered me the apartment because he is getting a house for Nessie...but I don't know if I'm going to keep the apartment." he answered. "But, where would you go?" she questioned in disbelief. He was crazy not to take the apartment. "I don't know Leah, can we talk about this later? You should go rest, you don't look so hot." Seth replied and headed toward the garage. Leah glared and stormed after him. Leah followed Seth into the garage. It looked like a normal mechanic's garage, nothing to special. Jacob walked out from the back office. It was early, so it didn't look as if they had much business yet. "Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in," Jacob called, smiling with a big goofy grin. "Or should I say dog?" he added with a quick glance at Seth. "You are still the lovesick pup I left behind, Jake," Leah replied. Jacob smiled and hugged her tight, she hugged him back. "When's the wedding?" Leah asked, when Jake finally released her. "Next summer," Jake replied with a smile. "You better be there!"

"Well, my sister is not going anywhere without sleep," Seth said. Jacob nodded. "Of course, you had a long flight," Seth gently grabbed Leah's arm and led her to a staircase near the back. He let her go and walked up the stairs. Leah followed. Seth paused at the top of the stairs as he unlocked the door. He opened the door and walked inside. Leah followed and just stared in shock. The kitchen was clean. Was this really the same apartment as last time? Did Jake and Seth really live here? Leah slowly followed Seth, as he led her through the shockingly clean living room, and to his bedroom, which was clean as well. Seth put her bags on his bed and turned to look at his sister. "So when does the maid come again?" Leah teased. Seth laughed and scratched his head, a little embarrassed. "Um...well...I wanted to clear my mind last night...so I cleaned.." he replied. "Aw!" Leah cried, kissing her brother on the cheek. "You grew up!" Seth rubbed his cheek, desperate to wipe the kiss away. "Yeah, yeah, listen you're going to take my room. I'll sleep on the couch," he said, his chivalry starting to appear. "What?" Leah cried. "No, Seth, I'm not going to let you do that." "Well, you don't have a choice," he replied. "Now, get some rest." He walked over to the door. "Seth!" Leah hissed. "Please, don't make me take your room." But Seth ended the discussion by shutting the door. Leah groaned and plopped down onto the bed. She knew she was never going to win. He was just as stubborn as she was. She layed back on the pillows, she fell asleep instantly.

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Leah's eyes slowly opened, she turned to look at the clock to see that it was already four in the afternoon. She streatched and stood up. She heard rain falling on the roof. Her eyes traveled over to the window, she sighed and walked over, looking out it. Everyting looked the same, from the trees to the gray sky. Leah walked away from the window and ran fingers through her hair, fixing it. She walked out of the bedroom and to the kitchen. Leah opened the fridge and took out a can of coke. She leaned against the counter, opening the can, and sipping at it. The apartment was empty. She assumed they were down in the garage, so she gave herself a few minutes to wake up before heading downstairs. And she was right. Jacob and Seth were downstairs, sharing a pizza, while a teen girl sat on a table across the room. She was very beautiful. Her legs were hanging over the side of the table and she was swinging her sneaker clad feet back and forth. The girl was pale and she had copper colored ringlets with big brown eyes. A radio was sitting beside her and she was singing along to the song that was playing.

_Who says you can't go home_

_There's only one place they call me one of their own_

_Just a small town boy, born a rolling stone, who says you can't go home_

_Who says you can't go back, been all around the world and as a matter of fact_

_There's only one place left I want to go, who says you can't go home_

_It's alright, It's alright, It's alright, It's alright, It's alright_

Leah rolled her eyes at the song. Everyone thought they were comedians...or was Leah's luck really that bad? She walked over to the table where Seth and Jake were eating, and she sat down. "Sleeping Beauty decided to join the land of the living," Jacob teased. Leah stuck her tongue out at him. The girl jumped off the table and walked over. "Leah, I'm so sorry about your mother," she said, her voice sounding like a melody. Leah blinked as she realized it was Renesmee Cullen. "Um..thanks," Leah replied, still in shock. "Oh my god, Renesmee, look at how grown up you are," Renesmee smiled. "It's been a long time," she told her. Leah nodded in agreement. Seth pushed the box of pizza toward her. Leah grabbed a slice and took a bite. It was delicious, she hadn't realized how hungry she was. "So what are you two going to do?" Seth asked, looking between Jake and Renesmee. "We're going to go over to my grandpa Charlie's...my family is there with him," Renesmee replied. Leah quickly swallowed what was in her mouth. "I want to go too," she replied. "I need to see Charlie." Seth nodded. Leah brought the pizza back to her lips and took another bite.

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'Well, Renesmee wasn't joking about her family being at Charlie's,' Leah thought as she walked inside Charlie's house. Everyone of the Cullens were inside! Charlie was sitting on the couch. Leah couldn't bare to look at him, he looked so broken. Bella sat beside him, trying to comfort him. Alice sat on the other side of him. Leah's eyes swept around the room. She saw Carlisle and Esme sitting on the love seat across from the couch where Charlie was seated. Edward and Rosalie were leaning against the fireplace while Jasper and Emmett stayed near the back. It looked as if Emmett was a bodygaurd, like he was told to watch Jasper. Leah thought he probably was. "Grandpa," Renesmee cried as she walked over and kissed Charlie's cheek. Bella moved down on the couch to allow her daughter to sit. Charlie turned and hugged her. He saw Leah over her shoulder. "Leah," he said softly. Leah took a deep breath and walked over slowly. Renesmee pulled back to let her grandfather talk to Leah. Charlie stood up and looked at Leah. "Wow, look at you," he said softly. "You look great." Leah fidgeted uncomfortably. Charlie held his arms out and stepped toward her. Leah walked over and hugged him. "Your mother really missed seeing you," he said softly to her.

Leah froze in his embrace. A wave of guilt and sadness flooded throughout her body. She blinked back the tears. She was upset that she wasn't able to be here for her mother when Sue took her last breath. But it wasn't Leah's fault. She thought her mother had more time. Damn Cancer!

And besides, Leah's close relationship ended when Leah phased for the first time and found out all the secrets everyone kept from her for so long.

........

It wasn't Leah's fault that Sue wished that Leah was more like Emily.

It wasn't Leah's fault that Sue wished Emily was her daughter rather than Leah.

It wasn't Leah's fault that Sue loved Emily more than Leah.

Was it?

Leah felt sick all of a sudden. She pulled away from the embrace with Charlie and walked over to the wall. She slid down it slowly and sat on the floor. She didn't feel well, all of a sudden. She was starting to believe that coming to see Charlie was a bad idea. Everywhere she looked in the house, she could see her mother's mark. She decided to just sit down and not say anything, she would let everyone else comfort him, she didn't think she had anymore strength to. As Leah lay against the wall, feeling sorry for herself, she caught a glance of someone out of the corner of her eye. Leah turned her head to see Jasper staring at her, his gold eyes looked a little confused as he sniffed the air. Leah made a face and turned away. "Freak," she muttered under her breath. She glanced over her shoulder to see that Jasper had stopped sniffing the air and was just staring at her. Leah couldn't wait to get out of there!

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I worked on this chapter all day. Reviews and hits keep me motivated. So Review!

Okay, here is the deal, if the Pittsburgh Steelers win the Superbowl, another chapter will be posted on Tuesday.

If they don't, i'll be upset, so don't expect a chapter until the end of the week.

However, if they don't win, your reviews and hits will make me happy....so there might be a chapter on Tuesday still.

~Jessica~


	3. Chapter 3

I am excited about all the hits and reviews I received. I hope to get a lot more!

I like this chapter the best out of the other three....but since everyone really liked the other two...I'm kinda anxious to see the reactions to this chapter.

Thank you everyone who reviewed and put my story on their favorites list. I LOVE YOU ALL!

I do not own Twilight, if I did, Breaking Dawn would basically be about the Werewolves.

Much love, Jessica

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Chapter 3

I think housework is the reason most women go to the office

--Heloise Cruse

_Leah ran home from school as fast as she could. She skipped the bus, claiming she can get home faster by herself, and used shortcuts. Leah took the porch stairs two at a time and burst through the door. "MOM!" Leah yelled as loud as she could. "Mom, where are you?" Leah ran through the dining room to the kitchen._

_No Sue._

_Leah doubled back through the dining room to run right into her mother. "Leah, what's the matter?" Sue asked with worried. "Why are you home so early? Are you okay?" __"I'm fine," Leah cried. "Actually, I'm better than fine. Guess what, guess what!" "What?" Sue asked, smiling at her daughter. "Sam Uley asked me to be his girlfriend!" Leah cried. "He is so cute!" She squealed and threw her arms around her mother's neck, hugging her tightly. Sue laughed and hugged her daughter back. Leah pulled back, smiling. "What do you think daddy is going to say?" she asked. "Well......" Sue said, putting her arms around her daughter's shoulders._

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Leah stared up at her childhood home anxiously. She didn't want to go inside, but she had no other choice. There was only three reasons why she returned home. Reason one was to help with the funeral plans. Reason two was to go to the funeral. And reason three was to clean out the family home. "Come on, Leah, just go inside," Leah said aloud, coaching herself. "The quicker you get it done, the quicker you can get the hell out of here." Leah walked up the porch stairs and walked slowly across the wooden porch.

The house was beautiful. It was a two story house with a wrap around porch. It was white with blue shutters. The windows were covered in grime for not being cleaned in years. When Sue married Charlie, she locked up the house, and moved in with him. Harry had bought it for her when they first got married. She couldn't stand selling it. So, she just locked it up and left. Leah guessed that she was the first person in the house in years.

Leah reached into her pocket and took out a set of keys. She found the key without much searching and she stuck it into the lock. She took a deep breath and turned the key, unlocking the door. She pushed open the door and walked slowly inside. She was standing in the hall that separated the living room from the dining room. The stairs were a few feet in front of her. Oh how many times she had slid down the banister on her way out the door! The wooden hall floor needed a good cleaning. Leah sighed as she walked around the downstairs of the house. Through the dining room, the big table that normally sat in the middle of the room was now missing, her mother must have taken it to Charlie's. Lord knows he didn't cook, so what kind of table would he possibly have? There were a couple cupboards that stood empty against one side of the wall where Sue had once kept her silver and glass figurines that had been passed down through the family. However, she took them all with her when she left.

The kitchen was straight ahead through a set of swinging doors. Although her mother hadn't lived in the house for years, it was still as clean as ever. Leah didn't linger long as she moved into the living room. Nothing much was taken from there either. The tv was still there, but the black leather couches were gone. Leah had remembered seeing the couch and loveseat in Charlie's living room. Bookcases lined one wall, still filled with her parents' books. A closed door was on the other side of the room. It was her father's office. It was where he used to write bills and where a lot of the meetings for the pack were held. Leah shivered as she looked away from the door. She knew that was going to be one of the last rooms she tended too.

Leah walked back onto the porch where there were boxes sitting in the corner. She walked over, grabbed as many as she could carry and walked back inside. Leah decided to start in the living room. The next hour was spent taking down the old fashioned curtains and throwing them away. And also, clearing out the bookcases in the living room. Leah was making two piles. One pile was the books she was going to put in a box to give away and the other pile was the books she was keeping. Leah reached back onto the shelf and pulled out a couple more books. She started to look at the titles of the books when she realized one of the books she pulled out was a small photo album. Leah set the other two books back on the shelf and leaned against the wall, flipping through the photo album. The photos were taken right before her and Seth phased for the first time. It was their last family vacation before her dad died. The four of them looked so happy together, although Leah wasn't happy...not really...she stopped being happy a lot time ago. She stopped being happy when Sam left.

Leah jumped a foot in the air, the photo album fell from her hands, as she heard loud giggling. It was a girlish giggling. The hair on the back of Leah's neck stood up when she remembered that she was alone in the house. She took a shaky breath and slowly stepped away from the wall. "H-Hello?" she called, cursing herself silently for not keeping her voice straight. "Who's there?" she asked, this time, her voice did not waver. But the person didn't reply and the giggling stopped. Leah slowly walked through each room downstairs, she didn't want to stop at her father's office, but she did, just to try the door. She found it to be locked. She let out a sigh of relief and walked into the hall. She looked up the staircase. She knew she had to go upstairs, but she was so scared. "Get ahold of yourself, Leah," she said aloud. "You know this house like the back of your hand."

Leah took another deep breath and stepped onto the first step.

Nothing exploded.

Nothing jumped out at her.

Leah shook her head and continued up the stairs. She stopped near the top of the staircase, where she had complete view of the second floor landing, and looked around.

Deserted.

No one.

Nada.

Zilch.

Leah laughed in relief. There was no one there. She must have just been working too hard and imagined the giggling. Lord this house was driving her insane. Leah turned on the step and was about to go downstairs to finish packing up the books, when she heard the giggle again. Leah froze. She felt the hair on her arms and the back of her neck stand straight up. She couldn't move, she felt as if she could hardly breathe. Leah turned around and looked back up at the landing. She was silently fighting with herself to go upstairs and check it out when CRASH!

She heard something fall upstairs. Leah didn't need anymore reasons. She was finally able to move again and she ran downstairs. She grabbed the keys off of the table, by the door, and ran outside, pulling the door closed behind her. She locked the door quickly and got as far away from the house as possible. She ran for the sidewalk and that was where she was when her cell phone rang ten minutes later.

Leah jumped in the air, frightened, forgetting her cell phone was in her pocket. She groaned a little and took her phone from her pocket and answering it. "Hey, I'm going to be heading to the funeral home with Charlie and Bella to work more on the arrangements," Seth said, the moment she answered the phone. "Wanna come?" Leah looked back at the house. It was either help with funeral arrangements, something she was trying to put off, or go back inside and see who was giggling.

It wasn't hard to figure out which option she chose.

"Yeah, I'll come," Leah replied. "Okay, I'll be by in a half hour to pick you up," Seth told her. Leah shook her head, but then realized Seth couldn't see and said "Don't worry...I'll run." Leah knew her brother well enough to know that he had a smirk playing on his lips. "Mmm, I haven't had a good run in so long," Seth replied. "We should have a running competition before you leave." Leah was silent for a moment before laughing. "Of course, little brother!" she cried. "See ya soon." And she hung up the phone, groaning.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Leah was walking through the cemetary across from the funeral home. She decided against running, she had a lot to think about, so she just walked instead. She still arrived before the others that is how she came to find herself walking around the cemetary. "Someone was in the house," she said aloud. "Simple as that. I didn't imagine it. Someone either got in while I was packing up or they had found a way in and were in there the whole time." Leah sighed. "That giggle sounded so familiar," she cried. She ran her fingers through her hair and stopped when a name on a gravestone caught her eyes.

Leah walked over slowly and touched the name gently

Emily Uley

Leah closed her eyes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_Leah was in the kitchen, cooking dinner when the phone rang. Leah quickly ran for the cordless and answered it, walking back to stand at the stove. "Oh Leah, I'm glad you answered...I was expecting to get the machine," Sue told her. Leah sighed. "Hi mom, how are you doing?" Leah asked, stirring her dinner in the pan. "Not very good," Sue answered. She sounded tired....and upset. "Still not feeling well?" Leah asked, concerned. "Leah....Emily died a few hours ago," Sue told her softly. Leah blinked in shock. "She died?" she asked, not really believing it. _

_It was silent for a moment, Leah could tell her mother was crying. She couldn't help but feel jealous. Of course, perfect Emily, even in death, she was still getting all the attention, she was still the favorite._

_"She went into early labor this morning...." Sue explained. "The baby is fine, a little underweight, but fine....Emily had...complications...she died a few hours later." Leah sighed and closed her eyes, leaning against the counter. "Sam's taking it real hard," Sue started to say but Leah cut her off. "Mother, I don't want to hear about Sam!" Leah snapped. Sue sighed. "Are you still upset about him?" she asked, sounding upset. "I'm hanging up!" Leah snapped. "Leah, come to the funeral," Sue told her. "Emily would have wanted you to come." "Mom, I didn't go to her damn wedding, I am not going to her damn funeral." And she hung up._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Leah sniffed and wiped her eyes. "What time did you get here?" a voice called from behind. Leah turned around and saw Seth jogging over to her. "Like 20 minutes ago," Leah replied. "You run too slow." "Jake stopped me on the way out," Seth whined her and stopped walking when he saw Emily's gravestone. He sighed sadly. "Cousin Emily," he said. Leah rolled her eyes and headed back toward the funeral home. Seth turned and followed his sister.

"So how is Sam?" Leah asked, without even thinking. The moment the words left her mouth she regretted it. "Still upset about Emily, I mean, he did imprint on her," Seth answered. "Talking about suicide...but of course he can't die." Leah rolled her eyes. "Yes, you want to kill yourself just because your wife died. He has children, how can he be so selfish?" she snapped. Seth sighed. "I don't know, Leah." he replied. Leah muttered all the way back over to the funeral home.

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Review! I hope to have the next chapter posted by Friday.


	4. Chapter 4

I am sooooooooooooooo sorry. I know I promised to update weekly...but I just got so busy. College applications, working, homework, musical practice. But I am back! I hope that you are all still interested in the story. I hope I didn't lose readers.

Okay, new chapter.

I don't own anything...really..I'm 17...what do I actually own?

Twilight belongs to Stephenie.

The quote is by unknown.

Songs- Fifteen- Taylor Swift

Think of you- A fine Frenzy

Reviews lets me know that you are still here and dedicated to the story.

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**Chapter 4**

_Nothing hurts more than realizing he meant everything to you, but you meant nothing to him.----Unknown_

_"You wanted to talk to me?" Leah asked her boyfriend as the two of them walked on the beach. There weren't many people on the beach that day. It was an early Saturday morning, the rain was gone, at least for the time being. The sun was just starting to poke out from behind the clouds. Besides Sam and Leah, there were only a few more people on the beach, 3 young children that were splashing each other down in the waves and a woman that was laying on a beach towel, watching her children play. Leah was acquainted with the woman. The woman's husband worked with her dad...or something along those lines. With La Push's population being only 750 people, everyone knew everyone..along with everyone's business as well._

_Leah turned to Sam, waiting for him to respond. Sam didn't look too good. He looked exhuasted. He walked with his hands deep in his pockets, looking only at the ground. "Sam?" Leah asked. Sam sighed and stopped walking. He turned to look at her. "Leah...I can't be with you anymore," he said. Leah's breath got caught in her throat. "W-what?" she managed to choke out. "Sam...why are you saying this? Stop it." Sam sighed. 'I'm sorry," he said, turning away from her. Leah grabbed his arm. "Does this have anything to do with you disappearing a few months ago?" she asked, tears filling her eyes. "Lee Lee, don't cry," Sam said softly. "Answer my question!" she snapped, the tears falling from her eyes now. Sam pulled his arm away. "I'm sorry," he told her again. He leaned in, kissed her lips softly, and walked away. Leah watched him until she could no longer see him before sinking to her knees. She hugged her arms around herself tightly and cried. _

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_And Abigail gave everything she had to a boy  
__who changed his mind and we both cried  
__Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you  
__Your gonna believe them  
__And when you're fifteen, don't forget to look before you fall_

Leah groaned as the alarm clock radio started to play. "Shut up," she snapped, hitting the off button on the clock. She rolled over and groaned. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, that was the worse dream in the world...or was it nightmare? Leah hated being here, she hated reliving all of these memories.

She threw the blankets off of her and stood up. She grabbed some clothes and her make up bag and left the room. She tiptoed across the living room, past Seth who was snoring loudly on the couch's pull out bed, and to the bathroom. It was when Leah was washing her hair when yesterday's events at her childhood home came back to her. She laughed to herself. She must have been crazy to run out of the house like a scared little girl. Obviously someone had to have broken into the house. That was when she decided that she needed to go back to the house and finish the job that she knew she had to do. The job that she had to finish so she can return home. However, she had something she had to do first.

Leah left the bathroom to find Jake and Seth already awake, and eating in the kitchen. "About time," Seth cried as he ran past her and into the bathroom, slamming the door. Leah laughed and looked at Jake. "Was I in there that long?" she asked. Jake laughed and scraped some eggs from a pan onto a plate. "Well you were in there before we even woke up. We've been up for over an hour now, so you answer the question." Leah laughed. "I'm sorry," she cried. "I just had things on my mind and I think better in the shower." Jake laughed scooping some homefries and bacon onto the plate and setting it down in front of her. "Don't worry about it," he said. He handed her a fork and and cup of coffee. "Thank you," she said and started to dig into the food.

A minute later, they heard the toilet flush. The two laughed as Seth walked out of the bathroom. "What?" he asked. Leah and Jake's respone was just more laughter. "What?" Seth asked again, only this time was more of a whine. Leah shook her head as she turned back to her head. Jake sipped from his coffee mug, grinning at Seth. Seth crossed his arms and pouted. "Don't laugh at me," he muttered. Leah finished eating and stood up. She carried the plate to the sink and washed it off. She blinked and looked at the door as she heard a thundering of footsteps on the stairs. The door burst open and Quil and Embry made their way into the room. "Leah!" the two of them cried in unison. Leah laughed and walked over to them. She took turns hugging them. "God, we missed you," Embry cried. Quil nodded in agreement. "I bet you have Embry," Leah teased. "But not Quil over here, he's probably been too busy with Claire." "That's not true!" Quil cried. "I've missed you."

Leah laughed. "How old is she now?" she asked. "Thirteen," Quil replied with a groan. Leah laughed. "Good luck with her teenage years," Quil just groaned in response. Embry, Jake, and Seth laughed at their friend. Leah smiled. "Well, I'd like to stay and chat boys, but I have some homework to do," she said as she walked out of the room. She walked into her temporary bedroom and grabbed her bookbag and laptop case off of the floor. She walked out of the room to find that all the guys had migrated into the living room. "I'm heading to the library, see you all later," she said and headed to the door. "Leah, don't forget, we have another appointment with the funeral director at four," Seth called to her.

Leah hesitated at the door. God how she wished this was over...she couldn't help but feel anxious about what happened the day before. Just when she thought she got over that. Leah didn't realize she was shaking until Seth's voice broke her from her thoughts. "Leah, did you hear me?" "Yeah, I remember, I'll...see you then," Leah replied and quickly opened the door. She stepped onto the stairs and closed the door. She rushed down the stairs and through the garage. She stepped outside and was surprised to see the sun was shining for once, but Leah knew the sunshine wouldn't last. She knew it would be raining soon. Leah walked slowly to the library. She looked around at everything, as if she was seeing it for the first time. Leah had to laugh at herself. She was acting like a tourist in her own hometown. But she couldn't pull her eyes away from anything. Was this possible? Had she really missed home this much?

............

No, she hated it here. She had to get through the funeral and clear out the house. And then, she would be free to go home. Leah quickened her pace a bit and walked to the library. The library's location was familar to Leah. She could get there with her eyes closed if she wanted too. There wasn't much you could do on the rez. The children and teenagers of LaPush didn't have many places to go. If you had money, popular places to hang out at was the movie theater, bowling ally, and little restuarant on the rez. But if you were the many teenagers who didn't have much money to spend, the hang out spots were the beach, the library, and yes...school. Most of the times, people didn't leave the school until well over 8:00 at night. Yes, the children of LaPush were deprived.

Leah walked through the library door and stopped, looking around. She smiled. She was happy to say that everything was still the same since she had last been there 10 years ago. Hell, who was she kidding? Nothing changed at all. It was set up the same way since she was a little girl...probably the same way since her mother was a little girl. Nothing ever changed on the rez....Leah saw this as she was making her way to the library.

The library was small. It was a small, white brick building. When you walked inside, you were in the biggest room in the whole place. The librarbian's desk was in the center of the room. Behind her desk was a door that led to a small storage room and a restroom. Two book shelves lined the far right wall. Yearbooks, from the rez school, and movies were held on those shelves. A doorway beside the bookshelves led to the childrens' books. Another door beside that room led to the young adult books. On the far left side of the room were four more tall bookshelves filled with adult novels. Leah laughed softly to herself. Yes, everything was still the same. The only difference was the five new computers that were set up on tables near the door and librarbian's desk.

"Wow, am I a child of the '90's or what?" she muttered to herself with a small laugh. Leah decided that she would sit in the young adult section to work on her essay, as she started to walk toward the doorway, the librarbian stepped out of her little storage area. She took one look at Leah and gasped. "Oh my...little Leah Clearwater!" the woman cried. Leah smiled a little. "Yeah..it's me," Leah replied slowy. "So grown up," the librarbian cried. Leah smiled a little, awkwardly, and nodded. The librarbian's name was Jean. She was around her mother's age. She had long graying hair and dark eyes. Jean knew Leah and Seth since they were small children. Everyone knew everyone on the rez.

"Just came here to do some homework," Leah told her. "Oh, yes...your mother had said you were in school...a doctor eh?" Jean asked. Leah nodded. Jean hesitated. "I'm sorry...about your mother...she was an amazing woman. She will be missed terribly." she said softly, as she grabbed a tissue and dabbed at her eyes. Leah nodded slowly. "Yeah...she was amazing," she replied. Jean sighed. "What can you do. When it's your time, the good lord calls you home," Leah stayed silent. She felt very umcomfortable discussing religion. "Well, I will leave you to your homework," Jean told her. Leah nodded. "Um..can I have the password to the wireless internet?" she asked slowly. "Oh right," Jean cried, catching a glance at the laptop case in the young woman's hands. She opened a desk drawer and pulled out a little card. She handed it to Leah. Leah forced a smile and walked into the young adult section. She sat down at the table in the middle of the room. She pulled out her laptop and turned it on. As she waited for her laptop to boot up, she pulled a couple textbooks from her bookbag and opened them to the chapters. She typed in the wireless code and went to work.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Leah finished her essay and sighed in relief. She hit the save button and looked at the time on her cell phone. It was close to four. Leah groaned and stood up. She closed her books and pushed them in her bookbag. She shut down her laptop and put it back into its case. She crumpled up the piece of paper that she used to make notes on and tossed the crumpled piece of paper over her shoulder. Leah paused. She used to do that all the time when she did her homework there before, but was there a garbage can still there? Leah turned and glanced over her shoulder. She laughed a little when she saw the garbage can and that her crumpled piece of paper was in it.

Leah grabbed her stuff and walked out of the room. Jean was sitting at her desk. "Goodbye Jean," Leah called as she headed to the door. "Goodbye Leah, take care of dear, I'm sure I'll see you again," Jean replied. Leah nodded and opened the door, stepping outside into the sun. "Wow, no rain yet," Leah muttered to herself. She walked down the library steps and froze.

There.

Across the street.

Sam.

Leah felt her chest tighten. Butterflies filled her stomach. It was him. He was walking down the street. He looked.....

Gorgeous.

Perfect.

Like Sam.

Leah's breath caught in her throat. She couldn't move...or even call out to him.

.........

Did she want to call out to him?

Leah continued to watch him. He didn't see her which was a relief to her. She didn't think she was ready for him to see her again. Was she finally strong enough?

The clenching of her chest, the butterflies in her stomach, the breath catching in her throat....all pointed to no.

Leah watched Sam continue down the street and into a hardware shop. The moment she lost sight of him, breathing came back to her. Her chest unclenched, if only slightly and the butterflies disappeared...but only some. She put the little earbuds in her ears and turned on her I-Pod as she started to speedwalk to the funeral home, trying desperately to think of something other than Sam. But the words from her I-Pod didn't help one bit.

_I should be happy now  
__You got yourself a family  
__And you planted roots down by the sea  
__I saw you once on the street  
__You didn't notice me_

_But I think of you  
__Whenever life gets me down  
__I think of you  
__Whenever you're not around  
__And you rest your bones  
__Somewhere far from my own  
__Yeah, but you still pull me home_

Leah groaned and quickly changed the song. The words of Lady Gaga quickly filled her ears and Leah used the fast beat of the song to powerwalk to the funeral home.

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Reviews make me happy. When I'm happy, I update faster!


	5. Chapter 5

Okay...been busy with graduation stuff...I know you all are tired of my excuses..soo..I'll just say CLASS OF 2009 lol :)

I am back with another chapter. YAY for me.

I do not own Twilight or the quote.

Quick Advertisment- If you like the La Push Wolves as much as I do you will love these wonderful authors. I have been reading their stories and they are amazing.

**Liljenrocks**-Keep Your Hands to Yourself

**yay4shanghai**-A Fun and Easy Way to Go Down A Dress Size

Please Review! :)

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Chapter 5

"Years ago, it meant something to be crazy. Now everyone's crazy."

Charles Manson

_"She wants me to be a god damn bridesmaid?!?" Leah screamed at the top of her lungs. Sue jumped back in surprise at her daughter's sudden outburst. "Leah, dear, language," Harry said as he sat at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper. "No!" Leah cried. "This is bullshit! If Aunt Libby thinks I'm going to be one of her daughter's bridesmaids, she is very much mistaken,"_

_"Actually dear, Emily wants you to be one of her bridesmaid," Sue corrected her gently, afraid of her reaction. Leah just screamed. Sue sighed and looked at her husband for help, but before Harry could reply Seth shuffled in. He looked pale and sweaty. "Mom...I don't feel so well," Seth muttered as he leaned back against the wall, almost falling to the floor. Sue quickly walked over to her son. "Mom, don't you even care about how I feel?!?" Leah yelled. "That bitch stole my boyfriend and then asks me to be a bridesmaid in the damn wedding!" "Leah!" Sue yelled. "I don't want to listen to this right now. Your brother is sick and please don't use that language with me." Leah screamed, but this time the scream turned into a growl. In a blink of an eye, Leah was on the ground, panting and snarling. She was on all fours...fur started to cover her body. She grew a snout and her teeth became sharp. Sue and Harry watched their daughter turn into a wolf right before their eyes._

_"L-Leah...honey," Sue said softly. Leah growled and snapped at her. Sue jumped back in fear. Leah growled again. Seth let out a moan and fell to the floor. "Seth?!?" Sue cried as she looked down at her son in fear. Leah howled as Seth's body started to morph. Fur covered his body, he grew a snout. _

_Harry watched in panic as his wolf daughter howled to his left and his son changed in front of him. _

_He couldn't breathe._

_This wasn't supposed to happen to his kids._

_Why was this happening?!?_

_Harry put his hand on his heart. His chest was burning. He started to sink down to the floor. "Harry!" Sue cried out. But she didn't dare take a step. She looked up at her daughter, who was now just an angry wolf. Leah growled and fled from the house. Seth whimpered and followed. Sue immediately ran to her husband. He had his hand, pressed tightly to his chest. Sue grabbed the phone and called 9-1-1._

0000000000000000000000

Leah woke up with a start. Her earbuds had fallen from her ears and music was blaring from them. Leah wiped her eyes, looking around. It took her a moment to realize that she was sitting in the kitchen at her parents house. Leah groaned and stood up, stretching. She started to clean up the food that she had been eating for lunch when she fell asleep.

Leah worked up the courage to go back to her parents house. She had a job to do before she could leave. And with the funeral in two days, she was hoping to get the job done fast. She blamed being back home, for the reason why she kept dreaming of her past. Another reason Leah couldn't wait to leave.

She finished cleaning up her lunch mess and turned. She leaned back against the counter, looking around the room. The kitchen. This was where she had phased for the first time. This was where Seth had phased for the first time. And this was where her father had his heart attack. Leah blinked back the tears and quickly went back to work.

It was starting to get dark when Leah's cell phone rang. She was walking up the stairs, when it rang. She sighed and took her phone from her pocket. "Hello," she answered, sliding down to sit on a step. "Sister," Seth replied. "Are you still at the house?" "Yeah, I am here,' Leah answered, pushing a couple strands of hair back from her face. "I got a lot done. Downstairs is cleared out, except daddy's office. I thought maybe you would want to be with me for that one. Have anything you want." "Yeah, we can do that tomorrow," Seth said. "Right now, it's late. I'm going to come pick you up." "Okay, I'll see you soon," Leah replied. The phone clicked and Leah put her phone away.

She looked around the downstairs area from her place on the stairs. The rooms were bare. She was proud at all the work she had got done, but sad, looking at the empty rooms. However, another good thing was that she hadn't heard the giggles at all. Leah believed someone had broken in that night. It made sense now.

Leah looked up at the stairs. Seth would be there soon. But she just wanted to take a quick look. She wanted to make a quick inventory of what she had to clean out. Leah stood up and walked up the rest of the stairs. She got to the second floor and walked to the end of the hall. Curtains hung on a window at the end of the hall. The curtains would have to be thrown away. Leah opened the first door. It was her parents room. The room was mostly empty. The king size bed was still in the center of the room, but the dressers were gone. Leah walked inside the room and opened the closet to find them empty. Sue had gotten rid of all Harry's clothes before she left the house for good.

Leah made a quick mental note of what was in the room before walking out and going to the next room. She opened the door and was in the doorway of Seth's old room. Fortunately for her, he had taken all of his stuff when he left. The room was bare except for an old mattress in the far side of the room. "Thank you, Seth," Leah joked aloud before leaving the room. She walked to the next door and opened it.

It was the bathroom. Leah looked around, getting a flashback of memories of her taking hours in the bathroom to get ready for school. Seth, Sue, and Harry would be yelling at her to get out so other people could use it. Leah smiled at the memory and went back to making her inventory. The bathroom was pretty cleaned out. The only things that had to be thrown out were some old towels.

Leah left the room, feeling confident that the job would soon be done and that she could go home. Leah went to the last room. She opened the door and walked slowly into her bedroom. Her breath caught in her throat. It looked the same when she left. Her mother touched nothing at all. Leah covered her mouth with her hand as tears filled her eyes. "She wanted to keep it the same for me," she said softly as she walked over to her bed. She sank down onto the bed, looking around. The room was filled with a lot of dark colors. The room used to be light and colorful, but after the Sam and Emily drama, she couldn't take the color anymore.

The room was the same. Her dresser stood to the left of the bed. A tv and radio were against the wall in front of the bed, a vanity table stood in the corner of the room, and a closet was on the right wall. The doors were opened and clothes still hung in it. Leah smiled to herself and stood up from the bed. She walked over to the closet.

Startled, Leah spun around and looked at the door. Nothing was there. She could have sworn she felt something walk past the door, in the hall. Had Seth already arrived? Leah walked away from her closet and over to her bedroom door. She looked out into the hall. No one. Maybe she was imagining things. She shrugged and walked back over to her closet. She started to look at the clothes. Wow fashion sure had changed over the last ten years.

Leah picked up some old jeans. "I wonder if I can still fit," Leah joked to herself aloud. She laughed and put the jeans down. A big, bright yellow bag caught her eye. It was hanging deeper in her closet. Leah recognized it as a dress bag. She grabbed the bag and untied it at the bottom. She pulled the bag up and a silk red gown slipped out. Leah bit her lip hard. It was her Homecoming dress from her sophmore year. Her and Sam's first dance. Her and Sam's first date. Leah ran her fingers down the material before putting it back into the bag. She tied the bottom up and hung it back into her closet.

"The dresser will go, the bed will go, the TV, the radio. I'll go through the clothes," Leah said to herself as she looked around the room at tomorrow's work. There was a clatter downstairs and Leah's head snapped up. "Seth, I'm up here," Leah yelled down. She looked around the room, continuing her mental inventory. She waited for her brother to come upstairs, but he never came. Leah sighed and walked to the door. She heard a murmur of voice downstairs. "Who'd you bring with you?" Leah muttered to herself. She stepped out into the hall and everything changed.

Leah blinked looking around. The hall was bright, early morning sunshine shone brightly through the window. She looked around confused. Sunlight? It was close to 7:00 at night. A delicious aroma wafted into Leah's nostrils. The smell came from downstairs. It was the smell of bacon, eggs, pancakes, and fresh brewed coffee. "Seth?" Leah asked unsurely. She walked to the top of the stairs and looked down. The living room was clean and bright. All the furniture was there and the tv was on to the morning news. Leah looked around before looking back downstairs. She still couldn't make out the murmur of voices but Leah could hear the clattering of dishes as breakfast was being served.

Leah was so confused. What was going on? There were a couple more murmurs and then a booming laugh. Tears filled Leah's eyes. "Daddy?" she cried softly. She covered her mouth as the tears fell from her eyes. "This is ridiculous," she heard a voice say from downstairs. It was a woman's voice. Leah froze. "Mom?" she said softly. "Leah Anne, come downstairs, your breakfast is getting cold. You're going to be late for school," her mother's voice called as her mother walked out of the dining room and appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

Leah froze in fear. It was her mother. She was alive and healthy. "Okay, fine," a voice called from behind Leah. She slowly turned around. Down the hall, the bathroom door opened and a younger looking Leah stepped out. She had to be no more than 13 or 14 years old. The younger Leah walked past her and down the stairs. Sue smiled. "My beautiful little girl," she said and kissed Leah's head. Younger Leah rolled her eyes and walked past her mother into the kitchen. Sue followed her.

Leah was in shock. What was happening? This couldn't be real. Leah grabbed ahold of her chest. She couldn't breathe. She felt like the walls were closing in on her. She felt cold all of a sudden. Her forehead broke out in a cold sweat. Leah cried out and started to fall forward. She grabbed hold of the railing but her hands had broken out into a sweat, and her hands slipped. Leah toppled down the stairs. Her head hit the hard wood floor at the bottom. "Ow...," Leah cried softly. She fought to stay conscious but the pain in her head was excruciating. Leah touched the side of her head gently and felt warmth. She looked at her fingers and saw blood. Leah finally lost consciousness, her mother's voice and father's booming laugh in her ears.


	6. Chapter 6

Finally got around to updating the fic. At least I didn't wait as long as last time. Your reviews really make me happy and make me want to write more.

So here is my gift to you celebrating American's independence day tomorrow..or in less than an hour since it's close to midnight.

I changed my pen name...I went back and forth on it for weeks..I wanted to...then I didn't want to...but I had to change it. I had to show my support for my wolves. So I really hope this doesn't confuse people.

Well, I can't wait to read the reviews.

**I DO NOT OWN SM NOR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS** FOR IF I DID...I WOULD BE LEAH

~Jess aka MissLadyWolf (LadyVampWolf)

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Chapter 6

"Watching your daughter being collected by her date feels like handing over a million dollar Stradivarius to a gorilla."-- Jim Bishop

_Sue stood by the window looking out. She was waiting anxiously. Harry sat on the couch reading the newspaper. Seth sat in the recliner playing a game on his game boy. Harry glanced at the clock before looking up at his wife. "Sue, will you get away from that window?" Harry asked, amused. "Sam will be here. He won't stand up Leah and if he did, I have people to take care of him." Sue laughed at her husband's joke and walked away from the window. She walked over to Seth and started to run her fingers through his hair. "This is their first date and their first dance," Sue said as she concentrated on Seth's hair. "He will be here," Harry said in a definite tone before going back to the paper. Sue nodded and pulled at her son's long black locks. "Ah, ma!" Seth cried. "You made me lose my level."_

_Sue just patted her son's head. "Your hair is getting too long. Tomorrow I will take you to get your hair cut," she told him. "I like it long," Seth muttered as he restarted his game. They heard a car pull into the driveway. Sue ran to the window and squealed. "It's Sam," she cried. She walked over to the door and opened it before he had a chance to knock. Sam looked a little embarrassed as Sue pulled him into her arms and hugged him tightly. Harry sighed and stood up. "I guess I better save the poor kid," Harry muttered to his son. "Mmaya," Seth said, never tearing his eyes away from his game. Harry laughed and messed up Seth's hair. He walked over to the door and shook Sam's hand._

_Sue saw the bouquet of red roses in Sam's hands and squealed. "Oh they are beautiful, she will just love them!" "Dear, why don't you go get Leah?" Harry asked, as Sam's face blushed scarlet. "Of course," Sue cried. "I'll be right back." And she went up the stairs to Leah's room. Leah's door was closed, music could be heard playing. Sue knocked on the door. "Leah?" "Come in," Leah called from inside. Sue opened the door and stepped in. Leah was sitting at her vanity table. She was wearing a simple, red, silk gown. Her black hair was styled on top of her head with a few curls framing her face. Sue covered her mouth when she saw her. "Darling, you look absolutely beautiful," she told her. "And Sam will think so too. He's here, by the way." Leah took a deep breath and stood up. Sue grabbed her necklace that was lying on her vanity and put it on her. Leah stepped into her heels. "Are you sure I look perfect?" Leah asked, doing a small spin for her mother._

_Sue kissed her cheek. "Let's let the men decide," she told her with a smile. Sue left the room and went back downstairs. "She will be down," Sue announced as she got her camera ready. Sam nodded. "So Sam, what's on the agenda for this evening?" Harry asked, looking the boy over. "Um..well, I am taking Leah to Forks for dinner. We are having dinner with Rebecca and Rachel Black and their dates. The dance starts at six and will be over by ten," Sam replied. Why was he so nervous? He knew the Clearwaters his whole life. Just because he was dating Leah now didn't mean he had to be so nervous. He didn't understand it. _

_And there she was. On the top of the stairs. Sam forgot to breathe the moment his eyes landed on her. She looked a little nervous as she walked downstairs but she was so beautiful. Harry smiled up at his little girl. Leah gave him a smile back before looking at Sam. Sam felt butterflies in his stomach, the way he always did when he looked at her. He knew he was going to be the most envied at tonight's Homecoming. When Leah descended the last stair and walked over, Sam handed her the bouquet of roses. Leah smiled. "Thank you, they are beautiful," she said. "Not as beautiful as you," Sam replied softly, his face turning redder. Leah smiled. "You look good in a suit," she told him. Sam smiled at her. "Okay, picture time," Sue replied. "Sam, stand behind Leah...yes, that's right."_

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Cold.

That was what brought Leah to consciousness.

Cold.

Hands. That was it! Really cold hands.

She was being touched and poked.

Leah groaned and slowly opened her eyes. Her head felt like it had lost a fight to some hammers. The light, thank god, was dimmed. She still felt the cold hands probing at her and she looked up to find the source. "Cullen," she chocked out. "Hello Leah," Carlisle's gentle voice said to her. "You gave your brother quite a scare." That's when she felt Seth hurry over. "Leah," he cried. "Oh thank God, you're alright." Leah reached out blindly and grabbed his leg. "I'm fine," she tried to assure him. Leah started to sit up. "Easy," Carlisle told her as he grabbed her arm helping her sit up. "Thanks," she muttered and brought her hand to her head. Her head was bandaged up.

"I was so worried when I got to the house and saw you unconscious...and then I saw the blood and..." Seth explained, playing with his hands. "What happened?" "Uh...I thought you were there...so I was trying to go quickly down the stairs and I lost my balance," Leah lied, hoping that it made sense. Her head was throbbing too much to actually think of a better one. But Seth seemed to buy it. "Well, there will be no permanent damage, but I think you should take it easy for a few days," Carlisle advised. The thought of Sue's fast approaching funeral filled Leah's mind and she couldn't help but roll her eyes at Carlisle's advice. Take it easy? Yeah, right.

Leah swung her legs slowly to the floor. "Careful," Carlisle advised as Leah slowly stood up. There was a slight ringing in her ears. Her head was throbbing, but she could stand up straight...for the most part. "I'll help you to your room," Carlisle offered as he gently grabbed hold of Leah's arm. She felt his icy grip and shivered a little. "Seth, could you get an ice pack for her head?" Seth nodded and quickly bounded out of the room, eager to help out in anyway he could. He always did like the Cullens. Carlisle helped her to her room where he pulled the blankets back on the bed and helped her to sit. "Jasper was right," he said. "How long have you been-" "Shhh," Leah whispered, shooting a nervous glance at the door. Carlisle glanced at the open door, before looking back at her, giving her a wary smile.

So that was what it was all about...the day Leah stood in Charlie's living room, sitting against the wall, Jasper had been smelling the air around her, Leah believed he was being creepy and freaky...but he had smelled her. He knew it that day and of course he had told his family. Well, so what! It wasn't his business. It wasn't anyone's business.

"I'm guessing your brother doesn't know?" Carlisle asked. 'Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner,' Leah thought bitterly to herself. "No, he doesn't know...no one does and I'd like to keep it that way," Leah answered. Carlisle nodded. "Of course, my dear, it's your business...but might I suggest something?" he asked. Leah paused for a moment before nodding her head. "I suggest you tell them before it starts to show," Carlisle said. Leah sighed and nodded slowly. But the conversation dropped when Seth walked into the room, an ice pack in his hands. "Here sis," he said with a smile as he walked over and put the ice pack to her head. Leah held it to her head and gave him a smile back in gratitude.

'I'll come by tomorrow to check up on you," Carlisle told Leah. "Please get some rest." "I'll make sure she does," Seth replied. "Thank you so much Carlisle." Carlisle gave them a small nod before leaving. Seth looked at his sister. "Can I get you anything?" he asked nervously. "Are you hungry? I can make you something. Are you thirsty?" Leah couldn't help but smile. 'I'm fine, Seth, don't worry about me," she replied as she patted his hand. Seth nodded and the two fell into silence. It wasn't an awkward silence. It was more of a comfortable silence...sort of peaceful.

Leah sighed and took the ice pack from her head. "Seth...I have to be honest with you," she said. Seth looked up curiously. "About what happened..."Leah continued. "I was up in my room...looking through the old clothes in my closet when I heard noises coming from downstairs. So I called out your name, thinking it was you, but when you didn't answer I got annoyed and walked over to the doorway and that's when I heard it. It was voices. It was mom and daddy's voices." Seth stared at her. He didn't know what to say. Although he didn't have to worry about thinking of something to say because Leah wasn't finished.

"So I walked out into the hallway, trying to hear better, thinking I was hearing things but when I walked out into the hallway...the strangest thing happened...the hall changed, like right in front of my eyes. I don't know how to explain...but it was like I stepped back in time...the hall looked the same as when we were kids. And then I saw her...mother came to the staircase and called up to me...and a younger version of myself...stepped out of the bathroom and went downstairs." Leah finished, not making eye contact.

"Are you saying you've seen ghosts?" Seth managed to ask. Was his sister messing with him? This couldn't be real. "Not ghosts...memories..it looks likes," Leah replied. "It can't be ghosts...I'm not dead, Seth." Seth rubbed his temples, trying to think this through. None of this made sense. He stood up and started to pace the room. "This isn't the first time this happened Seth and I'm sure as long as I am in that house, it won't be the last. I've even started having dreams...memories, if you will, of Sam and I breaking up...the first day Sam asked me out...the day you and I phased for the first time...and just a few hours ago...Sam and I going to our Homecoming Dance." Leah told her brother but it just caused Seth to pace faster and rub harder at his temples.

"And as for the odd things at the house...I've heard voices...laughter...and noises...it's so weird-" Leah tried to explain but Seth cut her off. "I think this is too much stress for you. I am going to finish cleaning out the house...you can head on home after the funeral," he said quietly. "Y-You want rid of me?" Leah asked, she couldn't help but feel hurt. This was the first time she had seen her brother in a long time. And he wanted rid of her? "No, I don't," Seth replied. "But if these hallucinations are making you hurt yourself-" "They are NOT hallucinations!" Leah cried, throwing her ice pack at her brother. Seth caught it and put it back down beside her.

"They are to," Seth replied. "How can you honestly expect me to believe this story? It doesn't make sense." Leah glared and crossed her arms. Seth sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Fine Leah, to prove to you that this story isn't true, I'll stay the night there," Seth told her. Leah eyes grew wide. "No, don't!" she cried. "I don't want you getting hurt." Seth walked over and kissed her head. "I'll be fine." "Seth, please, don't do this," Leah cried as she got out of bed. "I'll be fine," Seth repeated as he left the room t gather some things up.

When he looked up, Leah was standing over him. "I don't want you to go," she said. "I'm worried you will get hurt." "Leah," Seth sighed, starting to sound annoyed. "We've both lived in that house for years. There is nothing wrong with the house." "I know but-" Leah started but Seth cut her off. "If I spend the night and nothing happens will you believe that these things aren't real and finish cleaning out the house?" he asked, looking up meeting her eyes. Leah bit down on her lip. What was happening to her? Seth was right. Wasn't he? They were hallucinations. Weren't they?

Leah sighed and nodded. "Yes, if nothing happens to you...I'll try to relax for a couple days," she replied. Seth nodded and kissed her cheek. "I'll see you in the morning," he told her and left the apartment. Leah sighed and went back into Seth's room. She laid down on the bed and curled the pillow tight to her. There was no way in hell Leah was falling asleep tonight.

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Yes...no song lyrics in this chapter...it quite depresses me..but I did give you a quote though...don't ask..but when I started writing this fic...for some reason I believed that putting lyrics and quotes in each chapter would be a good idea...I might have been wrong. But I don't care...I like them.

REVIEW!


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks for the reviews! I love reading them...they make my day :)

And I am proud to say that you all fell into my trap in the last chapter. Mwhahahaha :)

Honestly...I hate this chapter...I thought twice about posting it...but...it's been awhile since I updated...and I didn't like my other chapters at all and everyone else seemed to like them...so I'm posting this.

The quote, of course, is not mine. Michel de Montaigne said it.

Uh-oh we're in trouble...is an amazing song, but does not belong to me. It belongs to the band Shampoo...if you haven't heard the song...you should check it out...it's the best!

Thriller and the moon walk does not belong to me... or Seth for that matter....but Michael Jackson...R.I.P. Michael

I DO NOT OWN THE WOLVES....unfortunately

SM OWNS TWILIGHT...sadly

Read and Review!

MissLadyWolf aka Jess

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Chapter 7

I know well what I am fleeing from but not what I am in search of.

-- Michel de Montaigne

_The sun was just starting to set in the sky. Leah laid on top of the hill, overlooking the clearing where the wolves had stood next to the bloodsucking leeches for a fight against more bloodsucking leeches. A fight that may have even cost them a life of a brother...or a sister. But the fight never happened. And the 'fight that never happened' happened a couple days ago. Peace had returned to everyone...at least to everyone but Leah. Would her peace ever come? Not if she were to remain in La Push it wouldn't. And that was one thing she knew for sure._

_Leah took a breath. "Hi," she said softly. The person reached the top of the hill and sat down in the grass beside her. "Hey," Jake greeted back. He looked up at the red sky and said "Never thought you were one for sunsets." "There's a lot of stuff people don't know about me," Leah replied softly as her eyes turned back to the sky. "Would Sam know?" Jake teased. Leah chuckled softly. If anyone else would have said that, Leah would have decked them one...but Jake was different. His comment only amused her._

_"He would have at one time," she answered softly. "....I don't think he remembers anymore." Jake didn't say anything. He glanced at her before laying back beside her in the cold grass. Leah sighed. "I was just thinking about the fight," she said softly. "Funny how it all happened because of one little girl. Not that I am insulting her...before you get all defensive over her." Jake sighed and nodded. "This imprinting stuff...it's really deep," he said with a sigh. Leah just nodded._

_"Quil and Embry have joined our pack," Jake told her. Leah blinked. "I thought you didn't want a pack," she said softly, turning on her side to look at him. "I never did," Jake replied, copying her, and rolling on his side. "But...I dunno....I'm returning to La Push. I won't be rejoining Sam, so you don't have to worry about hearing his thoughts again or taking orders." Leah sighed and sat up. She bit her lip and turned to look at him. "I don't want to return to La Push...I think I am ready to leave," she told him softly. "Leave where?" Jake asked, sitting up to look at her better. Leah shrugged. "Anywhere but here," she replied softly. "I've always wanted to be a doctor...maybe it's time to go back to school. La Push has two wolf packs now and more wolves have phased due to all the vamps that came to Forks not long ago...I need to get out of here." Jake just nodded. He didn't know what to say to her. He had known for a long time that she wanted to leave. And she was right. Now was a perfect opportunity. If she wanted to leave, now was the time "Well, I'm going to miss you Leah," Jake said. Leah gave him a small smile and hugged him tightly._

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Leah groaned, her eyes snapping open. She had been tossing and turning for the past couple hours. Her head hurt and she was worried about Seth. Leah turned and looked at the clock on the bedside table.

7:33 am

There was no way she would be getting any more sleep, might as well take something for her head and start the coffee pot. Leah slowly stood up and limped to the kitchen. She swallowed two aspirins and started the coffee.

It was an hour later, when her head started to feel better and she was drinking coffee, when Seth walked in. "Seth," she cried happily. "You're alright." Seth rolled his eyes. "I'm fine," he told her. "The house was peaceful." He walked over and kissed her head. "What are you doing out of bed anyway?" "I'm fine," Leah replied. Seth scoffed and poured himself a cup of coffee. "So you didn't see or hear anything at all?" Leah asked him anxiously. "Nothing whatsoever," Seth replied. Leah groaned. Maybe she was going crazy. "Now, remember our deal, I didn't see or hear anything unusual so you're free to finish cleaning out the house," Seth reminded her as he sat down with his coffee.

Leah sighed and nodded. She finished her cup and stood up slowly. "I'm going to take a quick shower and head back over," she announced. Seth choked on his coffee. "Whoa," he cried. "You just had that nasty fall...don't you think you should relax for a few days." "I'm fine, Leah repeated. "Besides, the sooner I get the house done, the sooner I can leave." Seth sighed. His face falling some. Leah quickly regret what she said. She knew Seth missed her terribly and didn't want her to leave. "School is waiting for me," Leah added, hoping to take the miserable look from her little brother's face. Seth just nodded, taking another drink from his cup. "But your head," he said. "Well, if you're so worried about me, then come help me," Leah told him, a smile playing on her lips. Seth gave a fake sigh, trying to hide a smile. "Well, okay...but only to keep an eye on you." Leah smiled and kissed his head. Leah saw her brother smile as she left the room to get a shower.

'Okay, so I must be crazy,' Leah thought to herself as she washed her hair, wincing some as she tried to be gentle around the big bump on her head. Seth hadn't seen or heard anything. Maybe she really was losing her mind. Maybe she was seeing ghosts. Ghosts? That's not right. She wasn't dead and she saw a younger version of herself. And ghosts didn't exist. And what she was seeing and hearing...were memories. Her memories. Maybe the stress had finally caught up to her. Or maybe her mother was really pissed off at her and was making her relive her past. The past...now there was something Leah kept trying to run from.

But maybe that was it...maybe her mother was pissed off at her...maybe the only way to shake these memories were to make amends. To make amends with her mother, Sam, and Emily. Only then will she find her peace and be able to return back home with a guilt free conscience. She could make amends to her mother by cleaning out the house and taking full responsibility of the funeral arrangements...that had to be something right? That would only leave Sam and Emily? But how would she do that?

Leah shut off the water and paused for a moment. What was she saying? Making amends? Her dead mother was sending her memories from the grave? Leah laughed harder as she pulled the shower curtain back and grabbed a towel. "Yeah, I'm really crazy now," Leah said aloud. She started to dry herself off when a glass, that was left in the bathroom, fell off the counter by the sink, and shattered onto the floor. Leah squeaked and looked at the broken glass on the floor. She had remembered seeing the glass when she started taking her shower. It was no where near the edge of the counter. Leah shivered.

"Leah?" Seth's voice cried on the other side of the door. "Leah, are you okay?" "I-I'm fine," Leah replied, shaking slightly. "Just dropped a glass." "Okay," Seth said and she heard his footsteps walk away. Leah looked around the room before saying softly, "I'm sorry mother."

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Leah laughed as she watched Seth dance around the many boxes that now lined the upstairs hallway. They found Leah's old radio and tapes and were now taking trips down memory lane, listening to the old music. "Uh- oh, we're in trouble, Something's come along and it's burst out bubble. Yeah Yeah! Uh-Oh, we're in trouble, gotta get home, quick march on the double!" Seth sang dancing around the boxes. Leah laid on the floor laughing.

**We've Been Out All Night And We Haven't Been Home,  
We're Walkin' Through The Back Streets ...All Alone!  
The Party Was Great, Yeah We Were Really Frilled!  
And When We Get In We're Gonna Get Killed!**

Seth started to do the moon walk across the floor. Leah just laughed harder. It was pretty amusing to see an almost 7 foot guy doing the moonwalk. "You know...this song really reminds me of my teenage years," she said. "It's because this song came out when you were **IN** your teenage years," Seth teased. Leah stuck her tongue out at him and pushed him playfully. "No, I meant...I remember sneaking out to go to parties with Rachel and Rebecca...trying my first cigarette...-" "Getting caught vandalizing the school," Seth teased. "Okay that was Jared's and Paul's idea...wow...we were only like 13," Leah smiled, thinking about her early teenage years. Seth smiled and looked around at the boxes. "Wow, we're practically done. I'm surprised, you know with all the dancing and singing we did," he said. "Yeah. I thought for sure we were done the moment you found my Michael Jackson's tapes and thriller came on," Leah teased.

Seth laughed. "Cause this is thriller, thriller night. And no one's gonna save you from the beast about to strike. You know it's thriller, thriller night. You're fighting for you life inside a killer, thriller tonight," he sang. Leah sighed. "Wow, you can't sing," she teased with a smile. Seth smirked. "Come on Michael, let's carry these boxes to your truck," Leah said, standing up grabbing some boxes.

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About an half hour later, they finally had all the boxes in the back of Seth's truck. These boxes were going to the local consignment store. Leah felt extremely...light. She was excited that the house was finally cleaned out. "So when are you moving in?" she asked her brother. "After the funeral. I'll get a couple wolves together to help me move in," Seth replied. Leah nodded. "If I'm still here, I'll help too." she told him. Seth gave her a small smile. He didn't want to think about his sister leaving yet. A truck pulled into the driveway behind Seth's. "Hey Sam," Seth called and waved. Leah's happy mood started to damper a little. Sam got out of his truck and shut the door. He walked over slowly. "Heard from Billy that you were cleaning out the old place, thought I would stop by and give you a hand," Sam said, looking at Seth. "Well, you're too late, we just finished," Seth answered with a grin. "But don't worry, you can make it up to me by helping me move my stuff in in a couple days." "Will do," Sam replied. He turned and looked at Leah.

"Hello Leah," he greeted quietly. "It's been a long time." 'Not long enough,' Leah thought to herself, but she put out her hand. Sam took hers slowly. Leah shook it. "It has," she said quietly. Seth felt the tension almost immediately. He cleared his throat. "Um...better be running these boxes down to the consignment store before they close," he said. "Do you want to go get something to eat?" Sam asked Leah, he still had a hold of her hand. "I...I dunno, Sam," Leah said awkwardly, pulling her hand from his. "We can talk...catch up a little." Sam continued. Leah sighed. She knew to start making amends she would have to take the dinner. But she didn't really want to. She sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I'll go..but Seth-" and she turned to look at her brother. "Don't worry about me. Go have some fun Leah. You deserve it after all the work you've done. I'm going to run these boxes over and then go catch the baseball game with Collin and Brady," Seth encouraged. Leah held back a groan and nodded. "I won't keep her too late, Seth," Sam said. "You better not, young man," Seth responded, putting on a fake stern voice. Seth and Sam laughed. Leah smiled a little.

The ride was short and pretty quiet. They got to a diner in Forks. They got a table near the back and ordered their food. "So, you're in school to be a doctor," Sam said. "I'm happy for you. You always wanted to be a doctor." Leah smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm so happy that I'm almost done too. I only have about another year to go," she said. Sam smiled. The waitress brought their food and they started to eat. "So...tell me about your kids," Leah asked. Sam smiled and took out his wallet. He took out a picture and showed her. "The oldest is Ava. She's nine," Sam said and pointed to her in the picture. Leah sighed. She couldn't help but notice that she looked exactly like Emily. "She looks like her mother," Leah said softly, looking up catching Sam's eyes. Sam nodded slowly. "She does," he replied quietly. "She reminds me of Emily a lot...she is very outspoken, but she really worries about people. She is constantly worrying about her family and making sure everyone is happy and safe. I told her that it's not healthy to worry all the time."

Leah couldn't help but smile. Ava sounded a lot like her mother. And she was beautiful, long, wavy black hair and bright gray eyes. Sam pointed to a little girl beside Ava. She had short black hair that was cut into a bob. Her eyes were chocolate brown like her father. "This is Julie. She's seven," Sam told her. "She's my quiet one. She's very shy and will usually hide from people she doesn't know very well. She is usually found reading though. She will read anything and everything she finds."

Leah's eyes went to the other child in the picture. This one was a boy. He was small. He had longish black hair and chocolate brown eyes. He looked just like Sam. Leah knew the story behind the little boy. He was the one who had complications with his birth. Complications that cost Emily her life. "And this little boy is Benjamin...Benny...Ben...he answers to all of them," Sam said with a laugh. "He's four and very restless. He can't sit down at all. He's very curious so you have to watch him at all time or he will get into things. He's very playful." "They are beautiful," Leah replied, handing the picture back to Sam. Sam smiled and put the picture in his wallet. He put his wallet away.

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A couple hours went by and Leah was having a blast. Her and Sam were laughing together like they haven't laughed in years. They had finished dinner, dessert, and were both on their third cups of coffee. Leah was starting to relax around him. And it felt good. "I'm trying to stop phasing," Sam told her. Leah smiled. "Well good luck with that," she laughed. "It's hard." "Very," Sam said with a sigh. "I'm planning on joining the council of elders." "I think you will do a good job," Leah told him. Sam smiled a little. "Who will take your place as alpha?" Leah asked. "I think I am going to give it to Jared," Sam answered. "Better than Paul and his temper," Leah agreed. Sam laughed and nodded.

Leah sighed. She couldn't help but think their was a reason for the change. And then she remembered it. Everyone had told her that Sam was depressed. Suicidal even. If he stopped phasing...he would start aging again...he would be able to die again. "Sam...by any chance, does this have anything to do with Emily?" Leah asked, trying not to get upset. Sam didn't say anything. He just sipped his coffee. "Everyone is talking about how depressed you are...and there's even been talk of suicide. Do you want to stop phasing so you can kill yourself?" Leah asked him. Sam set his cup down and looked up at Leah. "I don't know what I am thinking," he told her. "Emily is my imprint...and I hurt her...twice. The first time was when I scarred her. And now she is dead...my job was to protect her and I failed."

Leah was in shock. So the suicide rumors were true. "Sam," Leah hissed, trying to keep her voice down. "You have three beautiful children that need you. What would happen to them if something happened to you?" "My mother would take them," Sam told her. "They would be better off without me anyway. I'm not a good father." "I've never seen you with your kids, but if what everyone says is true, you're an amazing father, that those kids love you. And how could you put the burden of raising your kids on your poor mother." Leah hissed. Sam sighed and shook his head. "Leah, you don't know what you're talking about, please stay out of this."

Leah growled a little. How could she stay out of this? He was thinking about killing himself. "Well, I do know one thing for sure and that is Emily would never have wanted you to talk like this. She would have wanted you to go on with your life and raise your beautiful children." she snapped at him. Sam said nothing. He just kept his eyes down and sipped his coffee. Leah let out a deep breath. "And you don't even know, after you give up phasing, the imprint may not be as strong anymore," she told him quietly. That caught Sam's attention. His eyes snapped quickly to her, a dangerous look on his face. "I will always love Emily," he snapped. Leah looked taken aback. "Of course," she responded. "I never said that you would stop loving Emily. She is the mother of your children for Christ's sakes....I just said the imprint may end. Normal men don't imprint on women. Imprinting is just for the wolves to find a mate to breed strong children. If you're not a wolf, the imprint may disappear."

Sam growled at her. "Shut up," he hissed. "Now you really don't know what you are talking about." Leah's eyes narrowed. "What the fuck ever, Sam. I can't believe that I was actually having a good time with you." she snapped at him and stood up.

Almost everyone in the diner were now looking over at them. "Goodbye Sam," Leah snapped and stormed out the door. Sam sighed and threw money down on the table. He quickly ran outside. But Leah was no where to be found. He looked up and down the street, expecting to see her walking...but nothing. He groaned. She must have phased and ran off. He tried to sniff her out, but couldn't pick up her scent. He blinked confused. Not finding her scent…that's odd. He sighed and walked over to his truck. He got inside, waited a few more moments, looking around for her, before he left.

Leah stepped out from behind some bushes. She sighed in relief when he couldn't sniff her out. She had lost her scent that they were all used to. A scent that she will never get back. The new scent she had...none of them could remember. Not anymore.


	8. Chapter 8

Okay...Yes I know...I haven't updated in two months and I am sooooo sorry...but hey, at least I have reasons...they may not be good reasons, but they are reasons nonetheless.

Reason 1- I just started my first year of college. Wooo, Freshman! Anyway...I am living on campus...away from home...away from my parents....FREEDOM! I am sooo not used to it!. And I have yet to learn to manage time wisely. Which is a major downfall...soo my advice to anyway starting college soon or in a few years...learn that precious skill.

Reason 2-Writer's Block....MAJOR! But I think I have everything settled now...although I have changed the ending to this story...again, which is now the 3rd time. Don't worry it will change again...probably.

Good News-If I stick to the plan I am on now...there is about 5-6 more chapters left of this story....yay! I plan to end this story by December...so that also means no more two month updates! Yay! But...I also have an idea for a new story...so I dunno, we will see what happens now...

Thank you to all my readers....I love reading your reviews, they keep me writing.

And if you are reading and not reviewing...which there has to be some people since I had 400 hits on the last chapter and 10 reviews...please review...it keeps me writing.

A **BIG THANK YOU** to L Clearwater, I loved your messages and they got me to write a chapter....plus you also checked on me to make sure I wasn't dead which my other readers haven't done. I did reply to you btw, , just in case you didn't read it.

**THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO L Clearwater**

I do not own Twilight related material. The quote is not mine...this time, the quote is from Franklin P. Jones. The song is not mine. It's called Stupid Boy. It is by Keith Urban.

I hope you all enjoy the chapter.

Much love,  
MissLadyWolf aka Jessica

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Chapter 8

You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance.

--Franklin P. Jones

_Clothes were thrown into black garbage bags along with shoes, bathroom things, cell phone charger and some pictures. Leah looked at the pictures. Half of her wondered IF she even wanted to take them. After all, she was running from the past; what was the point of bringing reminders of the past? But she threw the pictures in her bags anyway. _

_Sue walked slowly to the door and stared sadly at her daughter. She was wringing a handkerchief in her slim fingers. "Leah," she said tearfully. "Don't go. We can work this out. You don't have to be a bridesmaid in Emily's wedding. Just…don't go." Leah made an impatient noise. "Mother, why do you bring Emily into everything?" she snapped at her, trying not to yell at her. "This is not about Emily. This is about me needing to get off this damn rez." But Leah was lying…a lot of this did have to do with Emily…and Sam. Hell, it was all about them. She was happy for them, she really was. She hoped that they had a beautiful wedding and had lots and lots of beautiful babies. But Leah would be damned if she was staying around and watching it happen._

_The doorbell rang downstairs. Leah paused her packing to look at her mother. "I called Sam and told him to come over," Sue informed her and went downstairs. "Ugh, why in the hell did you call Sam?" Leah snapped, but Sue was already downstairs and opening the door. Leah groaned and rubbed her temples. She had to get out of there. She went back to throwing things into the garbage bags._

_She heard footsteps come up the stairs and then someone pause at her door. Leah felt eyes on her so she looked up to be greeted by Sam's gaze. Leah nodded to him and went back to packing. "Your mother says you're leaving," Sam said, his brown eyes glancing around her, not stepping in but staying safely in the doorframe. "I don't know why she called you," Leah replied annoyed. "Where are you going Leah?" Sam asked with a sigh. "That is not your concern," Leah said, tying up her bags. "It is too," Sam answered, finding the courage and walking into her bedroom. It had been years since he had been in her room. "I am your Alpha." "Um…correction, you used to be my Alpha. Jake is now my Alpha and I have his permission and blessing to leave," Leah hissed, her eyes snapping to meet his._

"_Is this about the wedding?" Sam asked softly. Leah groaned annoyed. "Why do you want everything to revolve around you Sam?" she snapped and picked up her bags, heading to the door. Sam grabbed her arm. Leah growled and pulled from his grasp. "You broke my fucking heart Sam. What do you expect me to feel? I wish the best for you and Emily, but don't expect me to sit here and watch it happen." she growled, trying to fight the urge to cry. Sam sighed softly. "I'm sorry, Leah," he said quietly. "I don't know what you want me to do." "Nothing, I want you to do absolutely nothing," Leah replied. She carried her bags to her door and stopped. She turned to look at him. "I think the worst part of all of this was the fact that you made me think I had to just shut up and deal with it…like I had to stay a part of your pack and watch you have a happy life with Emily while I was miserable…you made me feel like I could never leave," she explained._

"_Leah, I-" Sam started, but Leah cut him off. "No, I don't want to hear it. You used my pain to keep me grounded…to keep me here. You never gave me a choice." "Leah, I never-" Sam started again, but Leah cut him off once more. "I have a choice, Sam." she snapped. "And I am making it…now. Goodbye Sam. Have a nice life." And with those final words, Leah left. Sam sighed and leaned against the doorframe. "Leah, I never wanted to lose you." Sam said softly._

000000000000

_**So what made you think you could take a life  
And just push it, push it aroundI guess to build yourself up so high  
You had to take her and break her down  
Oh...**_

_**She laid her heart and soul right in your hands  
And you stole her every dream and crushed her plans  
She never even knew she had a choice  
And that's what happens when the only voice she hears is telling her she can't  
You stupid boy**_

The radio sang to her as Leah curled her hair in Seth's bedroom, her temporary bedroom. "Ugh, I hate this song," she muttered to herself as she leaned over, shutting the radio off. The radio fell silent and it allowed her to hear rain falling on the roof. Leah groaned and looked at her hair. "Perfect," she muttered under her breath. She finished her hair; pulled the plug on the curling iron and went to get dressed. Today was the day of her mother's funeral. She wasn't able to sleep at all the night before. So many emotions was running through her. Sadness, anxiety, anger, confusion…feeling all these different emotions made her head hurt. She was sad and anxious about the funeral. She just hoped everything was perfect. Her mother deserved that. And she was pissed off at Sam. How could he honestly think of taking his life? She wasn't completely out of her mind…when he stopped phasing the imprint may disappear, he didn't know that it wouldn't; how dare he dismiss the thought? God she had to get out of there. 'If he wanted to kill himself,' she thought to herself, 'Then I won't be around to watch it.'

00000000000000

Faces. Just a big blur of endless faces. She didn't know how long she was there until the faces started to blur together. Maybe it was the warm room with the heavily scented flowers placed throughout it. Who thought having the dozen displays of flowers placed erratically around the room was a good idea? Was it hers? She couldn't remember, the heat and the smell was getting to her. Her brother's wolf heat wasn't doing anything for her either. Leah was sitting squeezed between Seth and Charlie. Charlie had his head down as tears ran down his face. Seth tried desperately not to cry. Leah had to step outside to clear her head.

She looked up to see Carlisle and Esme heading towards her. She sighed a little as Carlisle's topaz colored eyes caught her gaze. Leah knew what he was wondering. He was wondering if she told everyone yet. God, he wasn't going to let this go at all! Leah shook her head slightly and looked away. Esme hugged her tightly. Leah saw her nose twitch a little and she knew that Esme knew too. Leah rolled her eyes. This was her business. No one else's.

It felt a little weird having Esme hug her, but it wasn't entirely unpleasant. Leah was used to it when the whole Nessie fiasco went on. Esme was just a hug person. Leah waited until Carlisle and Esme had busied themselves with Charlie before she made a break for the door. She opened the door and stepped outside. It was raining. Thank god the funeral home had a porch with a roof.

Leah saw she wasn't the only one who took refuge outside. There was a group of people crowded around the door. They were all smoking cigarettes and talking quietly amongst themselves. Leah breathed in deeply. It had been years since she smoked a cigarette. She had chose to quit a long time ago, but with all the stress she had lately and with all the shit Sam was putting her through, she was craving some nicotine. But she didn't dare ask for one. She wasn't quite sure who the people were and she didn't want her family, if that's who they were, to think she turned to drugs when she was stressed. She could handle this and she didn't want anyone to think otherwise. So, she just stood there for a few moments, breathing in the cigarette smoke, before walking around the wrap around porch, to the back of the building where, yet again, she was not alone.

There was a little girl curled up on a bench, a black leather bound book in her small hands. The girl didn't look much older than 6 or 7. She had short black hair that was cut into a bob. Her brown eyes were focused entirely on the book in her hands. The girl looked real familiar, but Leah couldn't place her. She looked at the front of the book.

**Collections of Edgar Allan Poe.**

Edgar Allan Poe? This girl was way too young to be reading his stories, let alone to understand them. "You're Leah Clearwater," the girl stated. Leah blinked. "Yeah," she replied. "I am." "Great Aunt Sue was your mommy," the girl stated again. Leah just nodded. Wait, great aunt? "You were my mommy's cousin," the girl continued. "You're my cousin." And then Leah recognized her. She was Julie Uley, Sam's middle child.

"You're Julie," Leah said, sitting down next to the girl. Julie nodded. "That I am," she replied. "You went on a date with my daddy last night." "It wasn't a date," Leah corrected. "Just dinner." Julie shrugged. "He was upset when he came back." "Upset?" Leah asked. "Sad," Julie replied, her eyes going back to her book. Leah blinked. Why was Sam sad? Yes, they got into an argument, but it was nothing for Sam to be sad about. Unless he was thinking about Emily again. Leah resisted the urge to groan.

"So you understand Poe's stories?" Leah asked, trying to change the subject. "Yup," Julie answered, popping the p. "The Raven is my favorite…but I also like Annbel Lee." Leah was impressed but Sam did say that Julie would read anything. "What do you like about him?" Leah asked, but before Julie could answer, a voice cried "Julie, there you are!" Leah and Julie looked up to see a young girl walking towards them. She had the hand of a little boy and was dragging him along. The little boy was whining and dragging his feet. The girl looked at Leah suspiciously before looking back at Julie. "You should be inside, you are going to catch cold being out here," the girl scolded. "You could have at least grabbed your coat."

Leah knew instantly who she was. The girl was 9 years old, long, wavy black hair, bright gray eyes, and a mother hen, she was Sam oldest child Ava. So the little boy was Benny, Sam's youngest child. The rambunctious 4 year old with the long black hair and brown eyes. "Let gooooo," he cried, as he pulled on his sister's hand, but Ava wasn't budging. "Ava, this is Leah Clearwater," Julie announced to her sister as she turned back to her book. Ava looked over Leah. Leah squirmed a little in her seat. Why did she feel like these children were analyzing her? And then she figured that they probably were.

Ava continued to stare at her before her face broke out into a big grin. "Hello," she squealed happily. Leah laughed. "Hello darling," she replied. Ava rushed over, pulling Benny along with her. Benny just whined more. Ava tugged on his hand a little to get him to shut up. "You're really pretty," Ava told Leah. "I heard a lot about you from Great Aunt Sue." Leah forced a smile. She felt guilty and sad…how long did her mother talk about her? What did she say? Who did she tell?

Fortunately, Leah didn't have long to ponder these questions, because Sam walked up a moment later. "Kids, you should go inside, it's chilly out here," he said and he stopped walking, only a few feet away, as he saw Leah. Leah didn't say anything, just looked up at him. Sam looked back at her. "Kids," he said again. "Inside." Julie sighed as she shut her book and stood up. "It was nice meeting you," Julie told Leah. "Yeah it was!" Ava cried happily. Leah smiled at the children. The kids turned and started to walk past Sam and back into the crowded funeral home.

"Wait," Leah said. "Sam, let me take your kids to the park tomorrow. It will be fun…and I can get to know them better." What had come over her? Spend time with _Emily's_ kids? Why would she want to do that? She wasn't sure…but she really wanted to get to know these kids. "Oh, yeah!" Ava cried. "Please daddy," Julie pleaded. "Park, park!" Benny chanted. Sam nodded and smiled. "That will be fine," he said. "Do you want me to drop them off at Seth's?" Leah shook her head. "No, I'll stop at your house and get them…if that's okay?" she asked. Sam nodded. "It's fine," he replied. "I'll pick them up at 2:00," she informed him. The kids cheered and hurried back inside. "Don't run!" Sam warned them. He looked back at Leah. Leah was now avoiding all eye contact with him. "I should go stop them," he said. Leah nodded. Sam turned and walked back inside.

Leah sighed and stood up. What was going on with her? She didn't like these kids…did she? No…of course she didn't. She was just going to make the "ghosts" that were following her happy….right? "We're back to the ghosts theory now?" Leah asked aloud as she shook her head. She groaned and walked back inside the hot, smelly room. She just sold her soul to the devil. Her soul was her sanity level…the devil? The devil was Sam's children.

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